Vida Vegan Con, the first-ever vegan bloggers conference, is proud to announce a series of cooking demos taking place the weekend of August 27 & 28, 2011.

Whole Foods in the Pearl District, a quick streetcar ride away from the Conference Center. Image by J_Q_Adams on Flickr.

These demos are an extension of the sold out conference, and lucky for both conference-goers and the rest of the Portland area, are open to the public! Special thanks to Whole Foods for hosting these classes in their Pearl District Salud cooking studio.

If you are not attending the conference, the cost of a class is $10. To make a reservation, please email us at VidaVeganConference@gmail.com and let us know which class(es) you’re interested in and how many people will be attending.

Simply send $10 via Paypal here, and let us know which class you’d like in the special instructions. If you wish to attend more than one class, just pay more than once. Feel free to shoot us an email with the details.

If you are a conference attendee - you do not pay. If you’re interested, shoot us an email and RSVP to the corresponding facebook event, and stay tuned for our full agenda to make your ultimate decision.

With the line up ahead, it’ll be no surprise if these small classes book up quickly, and we recommend you sign up in advance.

Chocolate is the world’s favorite flavor, but to make luscious chocolate desserts, you’ve got to follow some simple foundational rules. Fran shows you how to choose, use, and quick-temper premium-quality, high-percentage vegan chocolates for foolproof, make-ahead, unapologetically delicious desserts that everyone will love.

Enjoy the fabulous outdoors with a twist on traditional BBQ fare. Classic American favorites with an Indian twist. Kelly and Joni are taking basic backyard BBQ fare like burgers, coleslaw and cupcakes to the next level with an Indian twist. They will demonstrate how the exotic spices of the far east can make a big impact on the flavors in your traditional favorites. Turning boring burgers into kofta, plain old coleslaw into a creamy curry concoction with cashews and currants, and combining the classic flavor of lemonade with rosewater for some out of this world cupcakes.

For anyone who thought that the mere concept of an eggless meringue was an impossible dream, you may not believe your eyes- But you will have to believe your taste buds! Watch Hannah Kaminsky explain in detail how to whip up your very own vegan meringue cookies, and discuss different ways to serve them up. Plus, get the inside information on how to created any flavor of meringue your sweet tooth desires, as well as how to convert that basic recipe to pie toppings, pavlovas, and more.

Please send $10 via Paypal here, and let us know which class you’d like in the special instructions. If you wish to attend more than one class, simply pay more than once. Feel free to shoot us an email with the details.